PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Dick Wood Jr., the former president and CEO of Wawa, has died. He was 88.
According to his obituary, Wood “passed away peacefully at his home” on July 10.
Wood’s great-grandfather, George Wood, opened the first Wawa Dairy in 1902. Dick Wood joined the company in 1970 as general counsel and became president seven years later.
Under his leadership, Wawa grew to 900 stores, employing more than 3,600 workers. He pushed the company into the gas business and expanded hours at many stores to 24 hours a day.
Wawa said in a statement:
For more than half a century, Dick Wood embodied the very best of Wawa. Think of everything you know and love about your Wawa. The food. The convenience. The sense of community. They’re inspired by Dick Wood. Wawa is what it is today because of his commitment to servant leadership, innovation, and culture.
Dick Wood lived by a people-first philosophy and believed “it was his job to create an environment where each of us believes that we can make a difference”. Today, the entire Wawa flock is committed to ensuring his legacy lives on … in every order fulfilled, every door held, every Associate brightening the days of our customers and each other.
He was also a philanthropist. CHOP’s Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment bears his name.
On July 20, Wawa said coffee will be free in all stores in honor of Dick Wood.
